Master of Arts in Mass Communications

at University of Bedfordshire - Luton Campus United Kingdom

In this course you will acquire the skills and knowledge you will need to give your career in international social welfare and social development a global perspective.

Your studies will provide a broad level of understanding by exposing you to a variety of ways in which social welfare and development issues are approached in diverse contexts, including in the Global South.

Overall, the course focuses on social issues with an international dimension and includes topics such as human rights, social justice, human trafficking and humanitarian aid as well as on the intercultural competence and skills needed to work effectively in international contexts.

Why choose this course?

• Study, compare and evaluate different welfare regimes and indigenous responses to human need within a framework of equality and social justice
• Explore the ethical aspects of your subject including attention to power and anti-discriminatory practice
• Develop a comprehensive and critical understanding of the knowledge, theoretical and ethical underpinnings and approaches to international social work and social development in diverse global contexts
• Gain an in-depth knowledge and critical appreciation of research models and methods, and acquire a high level of skill in evaluating and undertaking research while working within a robust ethical framework
• Benefit from a programme that will give you the core skills, initiative and professionalism necessary to carry out direct work with clients in a range of settings, for example working for NGOs, governments, the UN or voluntary organisations.

This course offers global perspectives, theoretical foundations, ethics and practice skills equipping social welfare and social development professionals to respond effectively in diverse country contexts and make global-local connections. It aims to enable students to develop cultural competence and the ability to work effectively in different global contexts.

You will develop critical thinking, enquiry and analysis skills in response to human need encouraging reflectiveness, increasing self-awareness and questioning of models of practice. You will also develop team working skills as you will be exposed to multi-disciplinary and culturally diverse working, both through collaboration with other students and observing practice in community-based projects.

The course aims to equip students with the skills to carry out research and to understand the implications of research for practice. It also provides the opportunity to acquire in-depth knowledge of a specialist subject of your own choosing.

The practice skills element of the course enables students to apply theory to practice and to develop the core skills, initiative and professionalism necessary to carry out social welfare work in a range of settings including through NGOs, government or voluntary organisations.

In order to remain competitive international businesses are looking for graduates who are able to work in a flexible, collaborative way in order to help provide innovative solutions to often complex and open-ended international problems.

This course is specifically designed to enable you to develop these skills through an exciting programme that links academic theory and real world business projects in realistic business settings.

Studying this course will help you to gain an insight into the reality of international business that goes beyond what is discussed in the text books and will help you to engage with potential employers in a much more meaningful way.

Why choose this course?

The course isn’t just theoretical; it’s based in industry practice and can be very hands-on. We also have business employers regularly come in to give seminars, which motivates us to work harder.

In a constantly evolving field, there’s a growing shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals with the up-to-the-minute expertise needed to keep on top of the game. This cutting-edge course equips you with the knowledge and skills employers are looking for.

Careers in the cybersecurity field offer huge potential for skilled graduates. This wide-ranging course is designed to develop the diverse skillset you need to identify and manage physical, natural and electronic security breaches and violations in all areas of cyberspace.

Our cutting-edge teaching and training techniques give you a thorough understanding of security processes and practices as well as the complexities and challenges associated with information security; the legal requirements around information-security domains; and post-incident analysis techniques.

Work-based learning and placements enable you to put theory into practice, as you build your ability to understand and analyse threat factors and multi-stage cyber attacks, and put controls in place to mitigate risk and impact.

Why choose this course?

• It is fully aligned with BCS, CESG and IISP requirements, making your qualification highly relevant to a range of employers
• You learn from a dedicated team of cybersecurity experts, trainers and active researchers
• Learning approaches are practice-based and include work-based and placement activities as well as interactive demonstrations by academic staff and guest speakers
• You apply your technical cybersecurity skills using secure virtualised and containerised environments
• Your degree qualification balances technical and management skills, enabling you to enter careers across a wide range of security contexts
• Take the course over four years and include a year’s placement in industry (see below) where you gain experience and make contacts for the future
• If you are stepping up into higher education, you can start with a Foundation Year which guarantees your entry to the Undergraduate course (see below)

The MSc Mechanical Engineering is aligned to the University’s development of a new STEM building, and a developing relationship with The Welding Institute based in Cambridge. This course development will bring together postgraduate taught courses with a new exciting research centre development to offer a distinctive offer in which students will undertake field trips in a state-of-the-art engineering and business facility whilst benefiting from access to state-of-the-art facilities in our new STEM building in Luton.

Why choose this course?

• Study in Cambridge with an opportunity to work with cutting-edge business
• Explore the latest technologies and techniques for mechanical engineering
• Have the potential to complete a project on an industrially relevant topic

After graduation of this course, you'll be producing quality journalism for audiences from the hyper-local to the global. You will have developed an internationalised approach, and be able to challenge specific cultural perspectives, deepening the quality of your analysis. This course will teach you to evaluate issues of media and international development, such as human rights and media structures and explore the latest academic and journalistic research technique

Why choose this course?

• Articulate your journalism across media platforms
• Produce a final project of your choice, either in the form of a journalistic portfolio or an academic dissertation
• Attend master classes and visit the BBC, The Guardian, Reuters, Bloomberg and others
• Interview top UK politicians, human rights lawyers and others visiting the university
• Data Analytics Units covers a wide range of topics including programming, databases, security, project management and computer networking, giving you both the underpinning theory and the ability to apply it to complex real-world problems, as well as an awareness of emerging technologies and developments

The MSc Social Work provides you with the opportunity to gain a professional qualification in social work at masters' level. This is a generic social work qualification that equips students with the skills, ethical principles, deep knowledge, critical awareness and reflexivity needed to pursue a career in social work in any field.

Successful students are eligible to apply to the social work regulator Social Work England SWE for professional registration.

On this practice-based social work course, your studies will be supervised by experienced practitioners, and you can expect an induction, a protected workload and a study day most weeks while on placement.

All placements are under constant development with our employer partners, and you may be eligible for a Social Work bursary administered by the NHS Business Services Authority

Why choose this course?

• Study the knowledge, skills and attributes necessary for social work practice at qualification level with adults and children in the private, voluntary and independent sectors.
• Explore the role of social work, its inter-relationship with other disciplines and the ethical base for practice where initiative is balanced with accountability to employers, the profession, service-users and carers.
• Develop a deep and systematic understanding of current theoretical and methodological approaches and acquire the skills necessary for analytical research-informed practice.
• Gain skills in critical reflexivity and emotional literacy which underpin collaborative social work practice and proactive professional development.
• Benefit from classroom and placement activities which will enable you to develop collaborative and communication abilities that can be applied to complex problem-solving tasks.

Approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), this course offers students a rewarding career path. In addition to gaining a postgraduate qualification, successful students will be eligible to apply for professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council and when registered will be able to pursue a professional social work career in a range of settings.

On this practice-based social work course, your studies will be supervised by experienced practitioners, and you can expect an induction, a protected workload and a study day most weeks while on placement.

This inter-disciplinary course combines international relations, gender and peacekeeping with cultural studies, and addresses the need for intercultural expertise in all global situations.

Focusing on employability, you will understand the growth of NGOs, the importance of the UN, globalisation of industry and multi-cultural communities made up of economic migrants and refugees.

This integrated course prepares you to work within a wide range of economic, technological, demographic and social justice concerns.

There are six entry points through the year. This allows you to start when it is most suitable.

Why choose this course?

• Study at a pace that suits your work-life balance – choose a one year full-time course, or extend your learning part-time.
• Explore options in public relations, intercultural communication and international marketing
• Gain real insight into peacekeeping and security though studying with experienced academics and practitioners including a Clinical Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies with experience in peacekeeping as a military officer
• Benefit from a course that combines core international relations units, gender and peacekeeping with cultural studies, focusing on the importance of intercultural competence in international situations.
• Develop the skills needed to work internationally and engage in international issues in political, economic or business areas as both politics and culture integrate to shape economic, technological, demographic and social justice concerns.
• Learn using our employability practice-based approach incorporating real business to develop your strengths and skills in this area.

Modern organisations rely upon good information systems in order to survive in the global competitive business environment.

This course will suit graduates who, through their interest in information technology and information systems wish to pursue management roles in charge of information systems. There are six entry points through the year. This allows you to start when it is most suitable.

Why choose this course?

• Learn contemporary approaches to information systems management and develop original approaches to organisations challenges and opportunities
• Study aspects of information systems, digital analytics, marketing and the digital future and strategic management
• Explore how the full benefits of modern technologies can be realised, and address the problems associated with increasingly rapid rates of change in the information technology and business environment
• Benefit from a course that inspires teamwork and engagement to contribute to ethical an innovative practice
• Develop your skills within Information Systems theory, against a context of real business through our employability practice-based teaching and learning approach.
• Gain the ability to make critical high-level managerial and organisational decisions, and learn critical thinking and creativity in analysis, synthesis and appraisal

While teaching you all the essential skills you need to work creatively as an animator - including visual thinking, model-making, 3D design, digital illustration and time-based media – this wide-ranging course also gives you the confidence to respond to briefs, create independent projects and work collaboratively within the creative industries.

Our Animation BA (Hons) is based in narrative and storytelling for short-form film, the moving image industry and communication design. Students work on live briefs, submit for national competitions and work on projects with our expert academic team.

You learn your craft through practical workshop sessions, sustained practice in the studio, some work-related learning opportunities with ‘live briefs’, one-to-one tutorials, seminars, demonstrations and independent research. All your instruction takes into consideration professional and work-related practices.

In the first year, we introduce the key skills in animation, building a close relationship between practice and theory. In your second year, you work more independently, taking ownership of your creativity and its outcomes.

At the end of the course, you take on a creative project of your own, demonstrating your insight into the critical, cultural and professional contexts in which your work is placed.

Why choose this course?

• It enables you to study, develop and apply critical enquiry skills to a wide range of key ideas and contemporary professional practice
• Practical learning activities give you the opportunity to tackle visual problems and explore ideas relevant to animation
• It builds your understanding of animation’s different contexts, and its wider global impact on social, environmental and political issues
• It equips you with the knowledge, experience and understanding of design environments you need to communicate and present ideas and work to audiences in a range of situations
• It gives you the skills to work effectively with others, through collaboration, collective support and negotiation
• It offers insights into professional practice that will prepare you for a future career in the creative industries as well as the world of work generally
• You have the option to take your degree over four years and include a fee-free placement year in industry when you can gain practical experience, build your CV and make valuable contacts

If you have a passion for photography, this course gives you the knowledge, skills and techniques you need for a successful career in the field, whether your dream lies in fashion, advertising, animation, scientific and medical, or local studio photography.

Gain the practical skills and theoretical knowledge of both traditional and digital photographic formats on a course that includes darkroom techniques; medium- and large-format photography; studio photography; stop-motion techniques; and event and location photography.

See your images come to life collaborating on projects with students from other degrees such as fashion, animation, art and graphic design. Every day is different, whether working on location or in our airy, open-plan studios at Alexon House, formerly home to a leading UK fashion house.

Why choose this course?

• Explore the ways a professional photographer works alongside other professions in the creative industries such as fashion designers, art directors, graphic designers and animators
• Learn from leading professionals in photography and design who exhibit internationally and work with clients including The Sunday Times, Mack Books and international design magazines such as Eye Magazine
• Amass a professional-standard body of work and a network of contacts through events, exhibitions and industry-based opportunities
• Learn how to use social media and other digital platforms to promote your work
• Develop your personal communication and entrepreneurial skills so you enter the world of work with confidence
• Take the course over four years and include a year’s placement in industry, building your experience and creating contacts for the future
• If you need to step up into higher education, start with a Foundation Year which guarantees entry to the undergraduate course